The writings of Camper contain many important dis coveries both in medicine and in natural history ; and though he has published no work of considerable magni tude, yet, in the various memoirs which he has present ed to the different learned societies with which he was connected, he displays great strength of reasoning and aptness of illustration. As he derived his knowledge more from observation than from books, he was always furnished with a multiplicity of facts to bring in support of his positions ; and the clearness of his expressions and illustrations arose from the abundance of his resources. Camper was personally acquainted with the most cele brated authors of the age, and had been instructed by their conversation as well as by their works. It was his constant practice, while travelling, to keep a journal, in which he recorded every thing which be either heard or saw that was worthy of being known ;the appearance and nature of the country, and the systems, projects, and errors, both of philosophers and artists. He took draw ings of every rare object in anatomy or natural history which he met with ; and sonic of his journals contain a variety of useful and curious observations on agriculture, manufactures, and the form and composition of moun tains.
Camper wrote upon every subject of medicine or sur gery which was under public discussion during his time ; and carried off the prize on several questions pro posed by some of the learned societies on the Continent.
lie was also a member of many of those societies ; and their memoirs were enriched by his valuable communi cations. Besides his Demonstrationes ?natomico-Patno logicre, of which two parts only appeared, the one con taining the structure and diseases of the human arm, the other the structure and diseases of the human pelvis, he published separate dissertations upon the following subjects : " On the cause of hernia in new-born chil dren,"" on the sense of hearing in fishes,"" on the physical' education of children,"" upon inoculation for the small pox,"" upon the origin and colour of the negroes,"" on the signs of life and death in new born children,"" on infanticide, with a project for the estab lishment of a foundling hospital,"" on the causes of infanticide and suicide,"" on the intromission of air into the lungs of new-born children,"" on the operation of lithotomy at two different times, according to the ce lebrated Franco,"" on ulcers in the urethra, &c." " upon the orang-outang and other kinds of apes," " upon cancers,"" upon lameness in infants,"" upon lithotomy,"" upon the classification of fishes accord ing to the system of linnmus,"and " upon the fracture of the patella and olecranon." He also presented the following memoirs to different societies ; viz. " Upon the callus of fractured bones,"" upon the advantages and best methods of inoculation for the small-pox," " upon the theory and treatment of chronical diseases of the lungs, &c."" upon the construction of bandages for
hernia, and the best method of tempering steel used for these instruments,"" upon the structure of the great bones of birds, and the manner in which atmospherical air is introduced into them,"1--" upon the cure of ul cers,"" upon the characteristic marks of countenance in persons of various countries and ages," which was afterwards published by his son in quarto, in 1791, and followed by the description of a method of delineating various sorts of heads with accuracy," upon the dis covery of the glands in the interior of the sternum," " upon contagious diseases among cattle,"" upon spe cific remedies,"" upon the effects of air, sleep, &c. in the cure of surgical disorders,"" upon the nature, treatment, &c. of dropsy,"" upon physical beauty,"-- " upon the question, Why is man exposed to more dis eases than other animals ?"and " upon the fossil bones of unknown and rare animals.
After his death, his son, M. Adrian Giles Camper, published in 1792 a sequel to his " Treatise on the na tural difference of Features," &c. entitled, " Lectures of the late Peter Camper on the manner of delineating the dilkrent emotions of mind in the Countenance ; un the striking resemblance be tween Quadrupeds, Fowls, Fishes, and the Ilunian Species ; and on the constituent Beauty of Form." In the year 1803 a collection of his works appeared at Paris in 3 vols. 8vo. with a folio atlas of plates, under the title of " Oeuvres de Pit rre Camper qui out pour objt t Xaturelle, Physiologic, t ['?natomic Compare," to which is prefixed, " An Essay on his Life and Writings" by his son ; and two eulo giunis ; viz. one by Vicq. d'Azyr, and the other by Con dorcet.
If the abilities of Camper as a philosopher entitle him to our respect and admiration, the better qualities of his heart call for our esteem. Ile was distinguished by his domestic and social virtues, and performed the duties of a son and of a lather with the most affectionate solicitude. Ile often sacrificed his own inclinations to the wishes of his aged parents, and sweetened their declining years by his presence and tender attention. Though his literary labours occupied much of his time, yet the education of his children was always his favourite employment, and we cannot better conclude this sketch of his life than with the affectionate testimony of his son : " Les tenches soins de Ines parens pour mon bonheur, leur douse et franche iotiniie, mills et mills bicnfaits dont ifs m'ont cpllmbfc depuis be four de ma naissance jusqu'a ('instant ou un meilieur monde est qvenu leur partage, rappcle ront sans cesse a ma memotre ces paroles admirables de la doctrine des Chinois Qu'on ne sauroit survivre a an pere, a une niece, que pour les pleurer chaquc moment de la vie." (12)